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HGV Time Pilot vs Tachogram
Choose HGV Time Pilot if
- You use an Android phone and a Windows, Mac, or Linux laptop and want one login for cab and desk.
- You want remaining times from the card, plus an optional live timer while you drive.
- You are an agency or owner-operator who also needs PDF reports, WTD, walkaround, or invoices.
- You want an AI assistant that answers from your card history, not a generic hours FAQ.
Choose Tachogram if
- You need a native iPhone or iPad app with USB card reading.
- You only want a dedicated card-reading product and do not need a shift timer, invoicing, or walkaround checks.
- Their web profile’s .DDD file download is the exact handoff your agency already asks for.
Tachogram is a mature, polished analysis app. This page is not a claim that Time Pilot “beats” it on every screen — it is so you can pick the right toolkit.
Feature by feature
Tachogram details below are taken from their public Play Store, App Store and driver-facing pages as of September 2026, not from a side-by-side lab test of every screen.
| Job | HGV Time Pilot | Tachogram |
|---|---|---|
| USB driver-card download on Android | Yes — Free, CCID USB-OTG, auto-upload | Yes — card reader into the phone |
| Remaining drive / rest from the card | Yes — “Can I drive now?” on Free | Yes — remaining time and rest in the app |
| Infringement / infraction flags | Yes — warnings vs infringements on the dashboard | Yes — deep infraction breakdowns |
| Native iPhone / iPad app | No — web browser only; card download is Android | Yes — App Store listing |
| Live in-cab shift timer | Yes — Driving / Other Work / POA / Break with alerts | Not the product’s primary job |
| Laptop / desktop workflow | Web dashboard in any browser — Windows, Mac, or Linux; no desktop app | Cloud web profile for files and review |
| WTD reference periods | 17- or 26-week dashboard on Pro | Multi-week tracking in their driver product |
| Share hours with an agency | Pro PDF reports from the web dashboard | Public materials emphasise .DDD from a web profile |
| Contractor invoicing | Yes — branded PDFs on Pro | Not a core advertised feature |
| Walkaround / vehicle checks | Yes — DVSA-style checks on Pro | Not a core advertised feature |
| AI on your own card history | Yes — Time Pilot AI, quota on Free | Not their public pitch |
| Who owns the account | The driver — no built-in fleet portal | Driver-focused card analysis product |
For agency drivers specifically
The useful question is not “timer app versus card app”. An agency driver’s hours live on the plastic card. Both products can read it. HGV Time Pilot is built so that analysis stays on your account when you change operator — remaining times from the card, optional timer in the cab, PDFs and invoices in the browser. You do not have to tap Start Shift for the compliance picture to exist.
Other Android and laptop options
Tachyfy
Desktop-first tachograph software (Windows, macOS, Linux). Better if you prefer to plug the reader into a PC at the end of the week rather than download in the cab.
Tachomaster Worker
A UK companion app tied to an operator’s Tachomaster account. Useful when that is already how your current agency manages data — not a driver-owned record you take to the next job.
Questions people ask Google
Is HGV Time Pilot in the same category as Tachogram?
Yes. Both let drivers read a digital driver card on a phone with a USB smartcard reader and review remaining driving time and infringement risk. HGV Time Pilot also includes a live Android shift timer, a web dashboard in the browser (Windows, Mac, or Linux), WTD tracking, PDF reports, walkaround checks, contractor invoicing, and an AI assistant grounded in your card history.
Which is better for an agency driver — Time Pilot or Tachogram?
If you want independent card analysis that follows you between operators, both can do the job. Choose HGV Time Pilot when you use an Android phone plus a Windows, Mac, or Linux laptop, want remaining times from the card plus an in-cab timer, and need PDFs or invoices from the same login. Choose Tachogram if you need a native iPhone app or you only want a dedicated card-reading product.
Does HGV Time Pilot work without tapping Start Shift?
Yes for compliance review. Remaining drive times and infringements are calculated from the USB card download. You can skip the timer and still analyse the card. The timer is optional coaching for the shift you are on.
Can I download official .DDD files for an agency?
HGV Time Pilot captures .DDD / .V1B / .ESM / .TGD from the card on Android and auto-uploads them to your account. Sharing with an agency is typically a Pro PDF report from the web dashboard. Tachogram’s public materials emphasise downloading official .DDD files from a web profile — if that exact file-handoff workflow is your only requirement, compare both products before you subscribe.
Tachogram is a trademark of its respective owner. We are not affiliated with Tachogram, Tachyfy, or Tachomaster. Feature descriptions of other products are based on publicly available materials and may change.
Try card analysis on Android, review in the browser
Free USB card download. Same login on the web. First import unlocks 14 days of Pro.